For the first time in Israel: Attorney will be allowed into interrogation room

The Knesset plenum approved a bill by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, allowing the presence of an attorney during police interrogations of minors and individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities suspected of an offense. The law aims to strengthen due process and reduce false confessions.

The Knesset plenum approved today (Tuesday) a bill initiated and promoted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, which will allow the presence of an attorney during police interrogations of minors and individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities who are questioned as suspects. According to the Ministry of Justice, the law aims to strengthen the protection of their rights and reduce the risk of false confessions. The Director General of the Ministry of Justice, Itamar Donnenfeld, said that this is a move that will allow "for the first time in Israel, a lawyer will be allowed into the interrogation room, at the most critical stage of the criminal process." According to him, the law is intended to ensure a fair and equal process already at the investigation stage. The Ministry of Justice noted that minors and individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of giving false confessions, partly due to difficulty understanding the future consequences and the meaning of what is said during interrogation. The Public Defender, Attorney Anat Meisad-Kna'an, welcomed the approval of the law and said: "People with disabilities and minors are particularly vulnerable, and it has been proven that they confess and are convicted even for things they did not do. We will no longer leave them alone in the interrogation room." According to her, the Justice Minister promoted the law following the recommendation of Prof. Yoram Danziger and members of the Committee for the Prevention and Correction of Wrongful Convictions.